She Asked For It
by mars494
Summary: Sure, Logan and Max were holding hands, one step closer to a normal relationship but who’s got her other hand? Someone’s not happy and is going out of their way to show it. Challenge by Pai.
1. Up Goes Flag, Down Goes Love

**She Asked For It**

**SUMMARY**: Sure, Logan and Max were holding hands, one step closer to a normal relationship but who's got her other hand? Someone's not happy and is going out of their way to show it. Challenge by Pai.

**RATING: **K+ for now.

**PAIRING: **MA vs. ML

**CHALLENGE: **_Pai _at DA Challenges Community on LJ.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I know, my third fic in the shortest amount of time but I've been dying to try out a challenge, so here we go! Fingers crossed, I don't disappoint.

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**CHAPTER ONE**: Up Goes Flag, Down Goes Love

Max clung on to Logan's gloved hand with her left hand, staring up at Joshua's flag. Maybe, just maybe, things could work out. Logan and Max might finally find their way to a 'normal' relationship; heaven knows they've been quite lost for the past two years. What would she do about her 'relationship' with Alec though?

Alec frowned, diminishing his usual happy-go-lucky grinning. He pretended to pay attention to the proud Freak Nation but couldn't help his eyes that were wandering to the corners and glaring at the sight beside him. _I can't believe Max. I thought she was over Logan already. I thought she'd figured out that while she moped and pined over him, she wouldn't get anywhere. One day she'll thank me._ The voice inside his head became more determined. _If this means_ I_ have to step in, then so be it. Everyone already hates me; I'll show them the boyfriend I can be._

Max opened her mouth, she'd spent a minute organising the right words to explain everything to Logan. She started, "Logan."

He looked across, a tiny smile forming on his face.

As Max opened her mouth to speak again, she was cut off by a tug on her right hand. She looked down and saw a bare hand with long fingers entwined with her own. Her mouth dropped slowly and her head rose, analysing the familiar body next to her. Although, it didn't hit Max until her brown eyes locked into a glare with his own hazel-green twinkling eyes. _What's he doing?_

"Are we playing a game, honey? Should we form a magic circle?" he grinned, preparing himself for a backfire.

Max stood speechless, she knew what was happening. She felt his body warmth progress into her cold, almost frozen hand. She could feel the vibe he was sending and she could read his expressions.

Logan barely heard the comment but had followed Max's own gaze down to the other pair of connected hands. A fire ignited inside his body, nauseating his stomach and tightening his chest. He knew what was happening, she was trying to tell him to let go. The smile, the smile he had made room for, had disappeared into dark shadows that were now tucked away again, for he knew now.

"I understand," he muttered and let go of her hand, walking away.

Max swallowed, trying to regain her breath and words. It wasn't till Logan was far way that she realised he was no longer attached at her hand. She frowned and turned back to Alec, still not letting go of his hand.

"_What_ do you think you're doing?" she shrieked.

"Maxie, I'm your _boyfriend_. You're not supposed to hold anyone's hand aside from said boyfriend, who, sadly, is _not _Wheels-of-Steel over there but none other than, yours truly," he answered acting completely serious.

"Ass!" was the only thing that came out of her mouth.

"Quite true. As your lover, my ass is all yours."

"Alec!"

He softened and stopped grinning, "Maxie, don't act like this is not right."

Max frowned again. _What the hell does that mean?_

He let go of her hand and raised his second finger in front her face, flicking it from side to side in disapproval. "Don't you know that frowns give you wrinkles?!"

Max face went blank as he, too, stormed off.

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	2. Onscreen Love

**Author's Note:** Wow, I'm so happy with the responses! Sorry for the late AND short update, I don't have very much in my head at the moment. If you have an idea, let me know in your review, I'd appreciate it!

_Keep reviewing_ and most importantly, **enjoy**!

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**CHAPTER TWO:** Onscreen Love

Alec paced around his room at the Terminal City Transgenic HQ, tapping his finger on his lips in deep thoughts. He knew it was evil but he also knew it was Alec, it was what he did. Plus, it was enjoyable.

He was contemplating ways to get Logan into the HQ, where he could see Max and Alec acting like typical _lovers_ with their public displays of affection, pet names and- _Ooh, this is gonna be good! _Alec cut off his own thoughts as his heart beat sped up at the thoughts of such fun. However, he had to slow down and ensure he would actually get that far.

"Maybe I could _break_ a computer?" he reflected out loud. "No, the Anomalies would surely not need Logan."

After an hour, which only felt like a minute, passed, Alec had gone through dozens of possibilities but also, dozens of ways they each would flop. He decided to go downstairs and let his wonderful brain do some improvising.

As he spotted Max, he didn't realise how lucky he would be. There she was in front of a computer and a camera, talking to Logan who was at Joshua's old place. _Perfect!_ Alec squealed inside his own head and almost skipped over to Max.

Max was updating Logan on the day's happenings at HQ, smiling and flirting but not receiving any reply. She couldn't believe Alec yesterday! He was too much trouble and now Logan was going to move on. How could _anyone _believe Max would date _Alec_?

As she started to answer another of Logan's questions, Max saw him gasp as a pair of muscular arms wrapped around her waist. She squealed in surprise and turned to see Alec's head casually slide onto her shoulder, as if it were completely normal.

Logan was appalled at the sight and not just because it was such an odd time but because it looked so right, as if their bodies fit together perfectly.

Alec's husky voice broke the silence. "Oh, hey Logan, didn't see you there."

Max was frozen again, just like the last time Alec was affectionate with her. She didn't speak but didn't push him away either. Alec was the most surprised.

Logan cleared his throat, failing to get a grip on reality. "H-hi Alec. I got some f-filing to do. Bye Max." He closed the video and the connection cut.

Once again, Max only unfroze when it was too late.

This time she didn't speak but pulled away from Alec, turned around and kneed him in the crotch.

"Orhhh," he groaned in pain as Max walked away. _That was worth it…I hope._

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	3. Broken Hearts and Shouting Matches

**A/N:** Points Ooh! Look! Over there! It's some angst in a _supposed _humorous fic! What an odd author….

Okay, I've sidetracked the challenge! Guilty as charged… I had to, though, I swear.

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"Alec!" Max gritted an angry cry through her teeth as she hauled her bags in to his –no, their- apartment. "You imbecile, get off the couch and help a lady!"

"There's a lady around here? I don't see one…" he said flippantly as he flicked through the channels of his television.

Last night, the TC committee held a meeting. They were in desperate need of rooms as more transhumans and transgenics populated the city. Dix and Luke saw no reason why Max and Alec couldn't share an apartment since they were 'dating' anyway. Alec groaned as he remembered their snickering.

"Alec!…" she growled in warning.

"Coming, honey!" Alec teased in a singsong voice as he got off his couch to help her.

As he smirked at her while taking a bag from her, they heard figure in the doorway clear their throat.

Max dropped her bags as she saw Logan –incidentally making her make-up bag fall onto Alec's foot with a thud.

"Logan! How long have you been there?" Max asked. _Oh, great choice of words, idiot. Now he knows there was something he shouldn't've heard!_ Max cursed in her thoughts.

"Long enough," he replied with a smile that made Max feel very guilty.

Max turned around and gave Alec a look. He instantly knew what she was implying.

"Yeah, I'll be in the bedroom, schnookums," he said as he turned to leave the room, oddly enough he wasn't smirking.

"Look, Logan, there's someth-"

"Don't Max," he cut in. "I don't want to hear about, seriously. I just came to give you this."

She took the papers from his outstretched hand.

With a confused expression, she looked up at him in search of answers.

"A friend owed Eyes Only a favour. It's some research on genetically targeted viruses –and cures."

"Logan, I…"

"It's okay, I understand. I just wanted to make sure that I could live here without being killed from bumping into you."

"Live here?"

"Yeah, didn't you hear?" he asked and continued when she didn't answer, "I've been tailed by some people who knew someone I exposed in a broadcast. Now that the transhumans have found away around the fumes in TC, they offered an apartment here for me."

"Wow, that's great."

"I'll be helping around here but don't worry, I won't be in your way."

"Logan…" she said, her voice dripping with guilt and longing. She was desperate to correct all the lies she'd filled his head with.

"Bye Max," he mumbled as he retreated down the hallway.

Max closed the door and crumpled to the ground in a heap. She trembled as her breathing fastened and her eyes became glassy. As heart-breaking sobs escaped her, her face became wet with running tears.

Alec knew it would be best to leave her so he sat in the same position as her, against the door, listening to her crying.

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Alec was weary around Max over the next few days. He knew she was fragile and he usually didn't help. So, he'd made her breakfast and a warm coffee every morning but he didn't talk to her at all. He hoped she would realize that he understood and was merely trying to help.

Alec had been wishing that Max didn't have her shark DNA the past few nights as it kept him awake too. No, Max hadn't been noisy with her Ninja or had the television on high volume but had stayed awake crying for a few hours each night. She would occasionally mumble or even scream but Alec couldn't understand the muffled words.

He knew what it was like to lose the one you loved to a horrible lie and he wanted her to tell her that it was okay because Logan was still alive and that she was lucky she still had the chance to fix it. However, he kept a distance over the four days until he knew it was safe and her situation was getting better.

On that fourth morning, he took a shot.

"You wanna talk about it?" he offered as he handed her today's mug of coffee.

Max paused in deep thought as she sipped from the lukewarm cup. Coming to a decision, she shook her head and recoiled to her bedroom.

Alec released a sigh as her action assured that broken hearts don't mend overnight.

In Max's bedroom, she found herself arguing with her own conscience…

_May as well be your boyfriend_, Max thought to herself. She was glad Alec was showing he cared and not going overboard with it either. He had picked good times to approach her and good times to pretend he didn't know or hear anything. However, that didn't change the fact that Max was still in a hole. She needed to get out of it for herself and she knew Alec understood this. Max let out a sigh as her thoughts continued to cloud over.

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**One week later**.

"I'm ready," Max said as she stared blankly into a pair of hazel eyes.

Alec cleared his throat and snickered, "Ready for me? Yeah, about time."

Max rolled her eyes and spoke again, "Be serious Alec!"

"I would if I knew what you were on about…"

"I'm ready to talk to you… about it."

Half an hour later, everything was out in the open and even though Alec knew a lot of the details already, Max told him _everything_.

"Well, since you guys are clearly moving on, can I get out of this 'relationship' of ours?"

"What?!"

"What?…"

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"C-c-cause…" she stuttered.

"Aww, you _are_ ready for me. Not ready to let go of me, hey?!"

"Alec…"

"Okay, okay. I'm just saying…If things are unraveling and you're closer to cure, you don't need me anymore."

Max paused, unable to find her words. Eventually, she nodded and walked away, although she didn't seem too happy.

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**Days later.**

Alec was wandering through TC when he spotted Max talking with Dix and a few others. What he didn't see, until he was right next to her, was that Max's leather-gloved hand was enveloped in the gloved hand of Logan's. Alec rolled his eyes and tried his honest hardest not to vomit. Max was being a coward and Alec was frustrated that he'd have to clean up her mess all over again. Then again, he was out of this little clutter, really. Why would he have to be responsible for Max's continuing catastrophes? He sighed as he tuned into the conversation and talked with the others.

"Hey guys," he said, with his smirk directed at the linked hands.

He was greeted with a set of mumbled replies.

"I see you're all happy this morning,"

"Alec," Max warned, knowing where he was heading. "Can I talk to you?"

Alec nodded before they moved away from the group into the next room.

Before Max could even open her mouth, Alec's face scrunched up in anger as he spoke. "When I asked you to 'end our relationship', I don't recall then leading on to say: 'oh, and also, hook up with Log again!'"

"Alec, I-"

"No, Max. I'm being made a fool of here and I thought you were stronger than this,"

"Alec, I know. I love him though."

"So you say," he muttered as he looked away.

"Alec, what do you care anyway?!" she shouted.

"Because I care about you!" he screamed back.

Outside of the room, muffled yelling was heard by all in the main hall. All, except one- who was without enhanced hearing- could understand the conversation, word for word. Logan looked around him to see uncomfortably awkward expressions painted on the faces of those surrounding him. His face crumpled into a confused look as he wondered if they knew something he didn't.

Max continued the shouting match.

"You care about me? Ha, that's original. Like you care about anyone but yourself!"

"Oh, c'mon Max. You actually believe that? You actually hate me that much?"

No reply.

"Max…"Alec paused, bowing his head and speaking soft, unaware that this meant the others couldn't hear him now, "I love you."

Max's jaw unhinged.

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**A/N 2:** So yeah, I finally decide to write this chapter. Hope you like the change in direction. I really don't like this story now and it's off the challenge! It should finish up next chapter and I'll throw in some twists so that it's more challenge-appropriate. Guh, cheer me up and review! 


	4. Body Heat

**A/N:** Apologies. Not only have I written this AN four times before, but I've been incredibly busy with RL. I lost all my files including the first rewrite of this chapter. I started to write again and hated what I was writing, so the best I can come up with from writing in two days is below. Don't ask what I'm doing rewriting it…

I suggest reading the last scene from the previous chapter, so you know where we are when this chapter begins.

If I could, I'd also delete the now unnecessary reviews but I can't – sorry!

**&&**

A pure euphoria ran through her body as he assaulted her neck with passionate kisses. She cried out as his tongue ran over a weak spot, which was further back towards her barcode. Her hands were out of her control, tempted by the touch of his bare chest.

Her back arched and manoeuvred into new positions to experience the depths of his touch. Her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist and she fought hard to keep them there as her muscles loosened more after every kiss. Her bra-clad chest brushed up against his as she moved in to cup his face for an ardent yet meaningful kiss. As she pulled away, she held his gaze. The kiss was giving off messages of all sorts. Alec let his confusion show. Max flicked her eyes to look away and then weaved her head to sit on his shoulder. Alec got a clear message this time and he returned to his trail of small kisses along her neck.

"Mm-Max," he managed to mumble through a kiss.

"Hmm?" Max said distractedly. Her eyes were closed, enjoying the simple bliss of the contact.

"You need…" Alec stopped as he nibbled at her ear. "To..."

"I need to what, Alec?" she pushed the question eagerly.

"W-…"

"Alec?" she insisted even though she was succumbing to his kiss.

"Wake…" he paused. "Up."

She pushed him away to meet his gaze. He found her face, examining her kiss-swollen lips and perplexed frown.

"Wake up?" Max questioned. The moment was lost and they were both rapidly sobering. The room grew colder as reality set in. Even though her surroundings had assumed normality, Max was still confused.

"Open your eyes," Alec chuckled and rolled his eyes as if it were the most obvious answer in history. "Wake up!"

"Max!_Wake Up!_" Alec shook Max again. Her eyes finally opened, regretfully, as an intensely bright luminosity assaulted her vision. Her eyelids begged to close again.

"Mrrhhmshpeh" Max mumbled groggily.

"And good morning to you too," Alec chortled. "About time you woke up. Must have been a really good dream, 'cause you didn't wanna wake up!"

_You have no idea._

Max sat up and recognised her surroundings as the living room in her and Alec's apartment. She stretched, tremendously feline-like, across the small couch and was suddenly alerted by the memories of her recent dream. Her eyes widened at the thought and Alec noticed the action.

"Something up?" he queried, raising his eyebrows and flashing his perfect white teeth.

Max involuntarily licked her lips, her brain sending disapproving messages to her body. She stood up to get closer to his standing form but finally her conscience returned and her feet ended up leading her out the door with an abrupt, awkward goodbye to her roommate.

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Max knocked lightly on the door. The softness of the sound showing her hesitancy. She turned to leave and make a quick escape before the person opened the door but it was too late.

"Max?" Wendy asked. Wendy was the expert for all medical conditions related to the female transgenics. She was trained for this purpose at Manticore and highly credited for leading educational 'talks' and advice on the main blemish in the females' genetics – heat cycles. This was the reason Max was standing in Wendy's doorway, apprehensively.

It was terribly embarrassing and brave of Terminal City's co-leader to be knocking at the door asking for advice on her own heat cycles, but desperate times called for desperate measures. The discomfiture Max found in the situation was shown in the rosy flushes across her tanned cheeks. The other reason for her blushing was her elevated body temperature, which was an additional symptom of the humiliating feline cycles.

She was only there because of _him_ and lately everything was because of him. If Max could change this fact, she would. Things had been especially different since he tried to pull one over her. As if Alec, Mr. Date-Four-Girls-At-Once-And-Watch-Them-Not-Care, would ever fall for Max. Luckily, things were back to normal and it wasn't awkward because he _didn't_ love Max – right?

She'd watched him walk off after she found herself gobsmacked at his admission. It was a similar situation to the times when Alec was being her terrific 'boyfriend' in front of Logan and Max, for the first time ever, found herself rendered speechless. Logan. That's right – he _did_ exist. He was meant to be Max's boyfriend yet Max spent almost all of her daylight hours with Alec. Max didn't want to read into that.

Max stepped inside Wendy's office, shuffling on her heels like a nervous teenager. Her heat fever was making her raven hair drenched in sweat and Max wiped her forehead.

After she hastily ran from her shared apartment with Alec, this morning, Max took a long drive on her baby. The motorcycle worked magic and she barely looked twice at the other men surrounding her. The wind blowing across her face cooled her fever and sobered her unclean thoughts. The views of a grey Seattle distracted her too and it was almost like she wasn't in heat. This lasted for a while, even when she made her way through Sector 7 to Terminal City. With all those hot, willing, attractive, _hot_ young men, one might think Max would cave in to the effects of the cycle. However, Max was holding out just fine – until _he _came.

Alec wasn't necessarily more attractive that the other X5's yet Max's body was calling for him as he made his way through HQ. Okay, so maybe more females were after Alec compared to the other males, and he was the only one that Max would secretly ogle but that didn't make him _that_ special.

After a single minute, Max couldn't handle it any longer and when she saw he was heading in her direction, she took control and blurred out of the command centre. He didn't follow.

It wasn't long after when Max found herself at Wendy's door, filled to the brim with burning questions.

"So…Max?" Wendy asked, sitting behind her tidy desk. She looked up at Max with trusting, listening eyes and Max knew she could confide in Wendy.

"I'm in the middle of my…uh…" It was hard to just swallow your pride. Max gave an honest try. "Heat."

"I know the symptoms."

"I need to know if the circumstances ever change," Max said as she took a seat across from Wendy and placed her hands on the arms of the chair.

Wendy tilted her head and raised her eyebrows slightly.

Max chuckled. "When my cycles are focused on one person."

"Like a mate?" Wendy smiled as she sat further back into her chair. Her expression had morphed from perplexity to comprehension and knowing.

"A mate," Max repeated. She looked down at her feet as a few pieces came together.

"It's simple. Your body has chosen your life partner. How long ago did you…?" Wendy trailed off. She stared intently at Max, even though the X5 couldn't meet the gaze.

"Did I?" Max frowned, raising her head. "I didn't…_We_ didn't!"

"Oh…" Wendy said, clearly shocked. "Usually it's chosen after the act."

"Nope. No sex." Max tried to continue her steady breathing.

"Well, your body has chosen."

"Can I reverse it?" Max queried, hopeful.

Wendy chuckled and shook her head with her black hair flying in all directions.

Max wore an expression of mock-pleasure. "Great. Just great…"

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'Stop. Stop. You have to stop. Stop….Stop…Can't stop.' He repeated the mantra umpteen times and each time he was distractedly trailing off. Her lips on his skin, his fingers outlining her curves. Never in a million lifetimes would Alec want to stop – but he had to. She was in heat and he was in love – certainly a match made in Manticore.

His shirt lied hopeless and tattered beside them. Her tank top was in an even worse condition, ripped and shredded on the floor. His belt buckle was proving its usefulness as an accessory and burden as an accessory to their situation.

"Mm-Max?" Alec said, pulling hard away from her lips. "You need to…"

Max stopped him. "Please don't tell me to wake up."

"No…you should go," he looked sternly into her eyes. "We can't do this."

"We've come this far."

Alec frowned. The irony.

In a second, she was back into the kissing and the touching and the removal of garments. Who was he to deny a woman's needs? Not Alec McDowell. He kissed back with more force.

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They didn't have to say a word to him. He may not have been as intellectually ahead as they were but with the looks and whispers, he understood. Logan wasn't a fool. Something was happening between Max and Alec, and he was being left on the sidelines. In this case, the sidelines where the worst place to be. He loved Max, but if she didn't feel the same anymore, he wasn't going to stick around and watch her play happy couple with that juvenile scoundrel. No, Logan wasn't a fool.

She said she loved him. She intertwined her slender fingers between his. She looked at him with hope, trust and longing. Max was a beauty. A beauty that had fallen for the hero of the penthouse, who sat by his computer by day and saved the city by night. It was meant to be true love and for a while it was. If she weren't transgenic, they could be so happy – so normal. Although, if she weren't transgenic, she wouldn't be Max and he wouldn't have fallen for her.

Logan could ponder the ifs and maybes, but it didn't get him anywhere. Sure, he liked the particular 'if' where Alec never existed but in reality, Max and Logan would have drifted apart eventually.

So this was it. Sink or swim. Love or not.

He raised his hand to knock, thinking about the pair of gloves in his pocket. If Max chose him, they couldn't keep touching with those darn latex. His new leather gloves were more suited. He would also promise to work harder to get a cure and harder to provide a normal life for their family. It could be perfect, if they worked for it.

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Max was shocked and almost joyed to realize her actual intentions in the act. For once, her heat experience had become a sensual, comforting and dare she say, enjoyable, one. It was not possible that this was a heat cycle. Her body liked it too much; she liked it too much.

He knew where to touch her, where to kiss her, when to let her take control. He knew her body, he meant every kiss, and he sent gazes that didn't burn holes in her heart – well at least not the bad kinds. His eyes were baring exposing emotions, with trust, care and _love_. The scariest part was, she could tell that her eyes were showing him the same sentiments. Not to mention, that those hazel-green orbs had melted into intense, vivid, lush pools of green liquid. That was a sight in itself.

The passion stirring inside her had ignited. She stopped, for a small minute, to just kiss him; her tongue eager to taste his every flavour and lips wanting nothing more than his. Max pushed hard against him, binding their bodies in a sweet embrace. Alec was unsure of what she was doing but his head was clouded by the desire and bliss of the moment.

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As his knuckles connected with the wood, the door swung open. Obviously, Max or Alec had been a bit distracted and forgotten to properly close the door. He walked in, searching for Max.

The kitchen and lounge room were empty but Max's bedroom door was half-closed and Logan could hear movement coming from that direction. His mind never even considering the possibilities of what lie beyond, Logan pushed the door open.

The sight that greeted his eyes was mortifying. Honest, true, not pretend.

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Alec's head was still up in the clouds when Max got off him and ran to Logan. He didn't bother to get dressed or follow. He had to let Max sort it out. After all, she asked for it.

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**A/N 2:**I hope that's a good enough ending now. I wasn't gonna end it here but those last three sentences were sending desperate pleas to be typed.

Here's hoping this is a completion of a fic for me – for real.

Thanks for the support everyone!


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